Simple Ways to Improve Your Hiring Outcomes

At Everly, we regularly support organizations faced with significant hiring challenges.  In the healthcare and non-profit industries, some roles will always be tough to fill due to market conditions and candidate shortages.

As witnesses to the hiring process time and time again at dozens of different companies, we have seen what works and what doesn't.

Here are a few simple changes companies can make that greatly influence whether a candidate accepts or declines a job.

In our experience, the interview and onboarding process are key factors in the acceptance rate and are often a bit bumpy. If you are struggling to find or retain talent, here are some things to explore internally:

1. Make the hiring process predictable:  When candidates start the application process, be transparent about the steps of the interview and timeframe for making a decision. Don’t have that roadmap? Discuss with decision-makers prior to starting your interview process. Candidates will stick with you if they know it’s three rounds from the start and what the steps are, rather than feeling surprised with each step, and potentially frustrated at the end.

2. Make sure your hiring managers and TA team are on the same page:  Before launching a search, check in with those who are part of the interview process- does everyone have the same understanding of a role? Scope of responsibility? Reporting structure? We often talk to candidates who say the job description changes with every interview, which makes someone think twice about whether they understand the job they will be doing.  

3. Check on the challenges! It is important to be honest and transparent with someone interviewing for a job so they know the challenges they may face if hired, but make sure to not have that be the focus of the interview. Candidates will not want to move forward if most of what is discussed is negative or if the interviewers themselves come across as unhappy. Check in with those doing the interviewing – how are you talking about the harder parts of the job?  Despite the challenges, how can you make the appealing parts of the role shine?

4. Provide quick and decisive feedback on next steps: We see so many candidates who are SO enthusiastic after their interview, but enthusiasm fades the longer there is no feedback! If you are serious about moving someone forward in the process, don’t wait longer than 2-3 days before you give them that good news! It makes a difference. If you are exploring internal candidates, feel like you need comparison candidates, or are on the fence about someone you interviewed – silence is the kiss of death. Better for you to communicate that to your recruiting partner or to the candidate directly. Check in, let them know it’s taking longer than expected but they are still in the running. Be communicative and positive.

5. Have an organized interview process:  Shoot for a process that is 2-3 rounds max and offer virtual interviews for some steps if possible. If someone is actively looking for a job and interviewing multiple places it can be VERY difficult to keep getting time off approved at their current company. You want the candidates to stay with you until the end and sometimes a stressful interview process can affect how they believe they feel about the job.

6. Streamlined onboarding:  If you do get an acceptance, have an organized and streamlined process set up for onboarding. Similar to the interview process, let the candidates know what to expect and what a typical timeframe is to getting them onboarded. Have several check-ins set up to let them know that things are moving along. We often see a lot of anxiety from candidates and get the feedback that they don’t know what the next steps are for onboarding and haven’t heard from anyone. In hot markets, candidates will keep getting calls about other jobs, and if the process to onboard is disjointed, it may cause them to think twice about finishing the process! Check-ins and updates help tremendously.

If you are interested in a deeper dive into your hiring process and how it can be improved in order to achieve better outcomes and retention, talk to us about our advisory services!